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2007-07-13 Iraq
Krauthammer: Give Petraeus This Chance...
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Posted by Sherry 2007-07-13 10:55|| || Front Page|| [4 views ]  Top
 File under: Iraqi Insurgency 

#1 Correct in spirit, but it almost underlines the jaw-dropping weirdness of strategy discussions in the last few years. We didn't "discover" that killing the enemy, seizing the initiative, and living in his house was the way to defeat him - that was obvious, logical, commonsensical, and well established by, well, every such conflict in history. "Duh".

The wonder was that Casey, Chiarelli, and the administration believed (if they did) for two minutes that the all-leverage, magic, and political progress "strategy" would achieve anything against ruthless killers and Sunnis who are undefeated, fearful, and arrogant.

I also don't buy the excuse for the mediocre, er, moderate GOPers - they're grown-ups (hell, Lugar is even senior and "widely respected", according to major media, wow), they can think for themselves, they have access to info. They don't need to rely on the president's judgement, they can use their own. And when they do, and they can't explain it any better than they have (which is to say not at all - there's absolutely no there there, for example with Lugar), then a reasonable supposition is that they're 1) cowards 2) over their heads.

The costs were "heartbreakingly high" when we were losing nearly as many people while doing essentially very little, other than to secure some elections (serious offensive action would have both secured the elections and made progress against the enemies). Now, at least, we're DOING something.

Once again, the administration bears the blame for confusing people's heads with this silliness about "political benchmarks" and the importance of the legislative laundry list. Paranoid, arrogant, racist Sunnis, their fence-sitting neighbors, their Shi'a counter-parts, and the neighbors of those Shi'a who may be (temporarily) enlisted with the Quds force or some criminal gang - all people don't give a flying f**k about the oil bill, de-Ba'athification reform, or anything else on the list.

I'll leave it to Krauthammer, as a trained psychiatrist, to judge whether it is a delusion or a hallucination to believe that security is not the first and essential step in winning a conflict like this. (there's also plain sloppy thinking in confusing the importance and timing of reconstruction as part of the overall process, which it is - but later) But these afflictions are found in abundance in uniformed personnel, and they will plague us beyond the current administration.

Petraeus can help reduce the fever (wildly mixing metaphors) by achieving something with the sword here, and making sure it's reported accurately within the services.
Posted by Verlaine 2007-07-13 12:24||   2007-07-13 12:24|| Front Page Top

#2 Benchmarks might have been a sop for the carping dhimmicrats to shut them up. I don't think they stand for much else. Can you imagine if WWII had been fought using "benchmarks?" Our leaders decided to win the war no matter what it would take or how long it would take. WIN the war and you will know when you have won. The rest of the laundry list can be addressed after the win.
Posted by JohnQC 2007-07-13 12:57||   2007-07-13 12:57|| Front Page Top

#3 Give him this chance, or else.
September, not tomorrow.
Posted by newc">newc  2007-07-13 21:39||   2007-07-13 21:39|| Front Page Top

#4 Again, I suspect that when September rolls around, the General will drop a bombshell: that the surge worked, and that large numbers of combat troops are packing up to come home.

The democrats suspect this, and are shaking in their boots that's what he's going to say. Or if they don't suspect this, they are really, really dumb.

But the irony is that as explosive as that sounds, the devil is in the details. Indeed a lot of troops will be coming home, because they are no longer needed, but lots will be staying on.

Far more than just trainers, there will be lots of combat troops both in country and on the Gulf, more than enough to provide combat support and pickup operations as needed. A large portion of SOCOM will also be staying around.

The idea is to have a big blow-off in which they loudly proclaim "The Troops Are Coming Home!", after which anyone who says we must "bring the troops home" will be looked at funny, like they haven't heard the news or something.

It will kill Iraq as a campaign issue, mostly because the public will be fatigued from the whole anti war thing, and won't give two hoots about any more whining.
Posted by Anonymoose 2007-07-13 22:37||   2007-07-13 22:37|| Front Page Top

#5 Anonymoose --- thank you. Deep in my heart, I wanted to say this, but I have not the right words, or the back ground to back this up.

Hehe.... I've envision, Patraeus, with all his military bearing, his confidence and his trust both for his warriors and his warriors for him, appearing before Congress.

A screenwriter's dream. He, with shoulders back, head up, chin out, a soldier's stance for him, presenting to Congress, number by number, point by point, picture by picture, of the changes in Iraq. Presenting in such a way, there is no question, just silence when he finishes, cause, there is nothing left to say.

I read this today, "They say that, in wartime, all the real leaders rise to the top and the "peacetime" leaders leave. I've been waiting around for awhile... maybe this war is finally starting to have that effect as well."
Posted by Sherry">Sherry  2007-07-13 23:59||   2007-07-13 23:59|| Front Page Top

23:59 Sherry
23:48 JosephMendiola
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23:32 trailing wife
23:26 Mac
23:25 Super Hose
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23:13 Old Patriot
23:10 JosephMendiola
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22:59 Super Hose
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22:56 trailing wife
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